an actresses manage to live on their earnings. The principals in my
theatre received from $900 to $3500 a year, which last named sum is paid
to the _Heldentenor_, and on which he is rich. The rent of a good flat
is 700-800 marks a year ($180-$200). I paid 1100 marks ($275) for mine
because it was situated on the best street, near the palace. It
contained four rooms, with kitchen, bath, maid's room and two balconies.
A good general servant receives 25 marks a month ($6.24). Her wages and
everything about her are regulated by police inspection. The _Polizei_,
in fact, regulates the whole town, even the closing of the theatre,
which can only be shut in case of destruction by fire, serious epidemic
or martial law.

The same system of alternating plays with opera obtains in all but the
very largest German cities. We had some splendid actors in our cast,
some of whom are now in leading positions in the greatest theatres. The
repertoire, for a town of 100,000 people, is extraordinary. The German
classics, Goethe and Schiller, alternate with Shakespeare; the modern
poetic dramas, the plays of Hebbel, Grillpartzer, the sparkling comedies
of Schnitzler are interchanged with translations of Ibsen, Bernard Shaw,
Pinero, etc. Sudermann and Hauptmann may follow the latest French salon
comedy, or a new farce; and the good old ones that everybody knows like
"Kyritz Pyritz," and "Charley's Aunt" are not allowed to die. Then there
are peasant plays in dialect and fairy plays for the children at
Christmas.

CHAPTER XV

SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS

If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made
very pleasant. Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used
to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends. I had
letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as
much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow,
social life of the place. The centre of everything was, of course, the
Court. The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to
watch the productions notebook in hand. Any detail which did not please
him was immediately noted and sent then and there to the stage manager
to be changed. We had some special privileges as we were classed as
_Beamten_ or official servants of the government. One was the right to
wine from the ducal cellars at cost price, or duty free. Another was a
10 per cent. discount at all the shops